The present invention relates to a safety system for vehicles, particularly a sensing and notification system that helps prevent vehicle rollover accidents, or, in the event of such an accident, notifies emergency rescue and/or medical personnel of the same.
Various emergency notification systems have been developed to activate safety systems or to notify third parties when a vehicle accident or similar abnormal condition has occurred. Of particular note, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920, issued to Sorden et al. and assigned to Trimble Navigation Limited of Sunnyvale, Calif., describes in detail prior art related to such emergency safety and notification systems. U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920 is incorporated herein by reference.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920, when a vehicle encounters an abnormal situation, such as a collision, emergency systems are often designed to activate a safety device (e.g., air bag) to minimize injury or damage to the vehicle occupants. This activation is often achieved through the use of an unspecified vehicle sensor that senses and responds quickly to the occurrence of any one of a predetermined group of abnormal vehicle conditions by generating a signal that activates the safety device. If this abnormal condition incapacitates a vehicle occupant, it might also be necessary to transmit an emergency or distress signal to notify a third party of the abnormal condition without requiring a conscious decision or volitional act by a vehicle occupant.
There are various prior art teachings related to the transmission of such an emergency signal when a collision or other abnormal condition occurs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,441,858, issued to Graham, describes an electronic calling and reply system that may be activated, either automatically or manually, to broadcast one of a selected group of distress signals upon the occurrence of a vehicle accident. In the preferred system, the vehicle carries one transceiver unit which transmits a selected distress signal. This signal preferably indicates whether: (1) a tow truck is needed; (2) an ambulance is needed; or (3) both a tow truck and an ambulance are needed. A central aid station receives this distress signal and responds to receipt of that distress signal by broadcasting a response signal indicating that assistance is being sent to the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,423, issued to Trumble, describes a vehicle distress tone generator that automatically broadcasts a selected tone in response to occurrence of a vehicle accident, the appropriate tone being selected based on the severity of the accident. The broadcast of the distress tone can also be initiated by a vehicle occupant.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,583, issued to Scuderi, discloses an automatic vehicle accident signaling apparatus that includes a sensor for measuring the severity of an accident. Upon the occurrence of an accident, a distress signal indicating the severity of the accident is transmitted to a remote assistance station.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,040, issued to Gleitz et al. and assigned to Thomson-CSF of Paris, France, describes an apparatus for transmitting distress signals. The distress signal generator is secured to a vehicle and includes a transmitter with a self-locking relay for energizing a high-frequency oscillator from a local battery in response to one or more trigger signals from respective detectors, specifically an impact detector and a deformation detector. The preferred apparatus broadcasts a first distress signal if vehicle impact is sensed and broadcasts a second distress signal if vehicle deformation is sensed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,369, issued to Edelbock, describes a collision-responsive alarm with a rotating reflector and warning light that is secured to the top of a vehicle. Should the vehicle collide with another object, a light source, rotating reflector and warning light is activated, thereby notifying nearby persons that there has been an accident.
Although each of the above-mentioned patents discusses transmission of an emergency signal, aside from U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920, there is no teaching in the above-referenced patents related to an accurate determination of the location of the vehicle or accident, nor do any of these patents describe local notification that may indeed aid in preventing the accident.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,306, issued to Angeloni, describes a highway distress signal broadcast system. In this system, the location of the vehicle is determined through triangulation by three or more nearby radio direction finding devices (RDFs). The vehicle broadcasts a distress signal and is received by the nearby RDFs. Each RDF receives the vehicle distress signal and identifies the direction from which the signal is being broadcast. A central processing station receives this directional information from the RDFs, determines the location of the vehicle in distress through simple triangulation techniques, and dispatches assistance for the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,545, issued to Flickshu et al. and assigned to Blaupunkt Werke GmbH of Hildesheim, Germany, describes a method and apparatus for communicating emergency signals using Citizens Band (CB) radio channels. When an accident occurs, a transceiver associated with the vehicle is activated, either manually or automatically, and broadcasts a distress signal in each of a sequence of CB radio bands. By so broadcasting the vehicle distress signal in each CB channel, it is contemplated that some CB users will hear and respond to the distress signal. The transceiver is then set to a preselected channel, perhaps Channel 9, the CB emergency channel, to receive inquiries or other information from CB radio users who heard the distress signal. Provided that he is able to do so, a vehicle occupant can then communicate to responding CB users the location of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,426, issued to Merkel and assigned to REPA Feinstanzwerk GmbH of Alfdorf, Germany, describes another emergency distress signal system for motor vehicles wherein the distress signal also indicates the vehicle location. Distress signal transmission is activated by sensors that respond to a vehicle collision or similar event. These sensors preferably have different activation thresholds that correspond to the severity of the collision and may thereby cause transmission of different and distinct distress signals. Similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,306 (as described above), vehicle location is determined through triangulation. Three or more receiving stations receive the distress signal and identify the direction from which the signal is being broadcast. A central processing station receives this directional information and can thus pinpoint the location of the vehicle. Merkel additionally notes that information received by the central station may also indicate the severity of the collision and whether certain safety equipment was operable when the collision occurred.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,904, issued to Murakami and assigned to Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha of Aichi, Japan, describes a collision responsive signal emitter for a vehicle. The preferred device includes a first detecting means which produces a signal representing an acceleration in both the fore-and-aft direction and the lateral direction of a vehicle, a second detecting means which produces a signal representing the inclination of the vehicle, and a third detecting means which produces a signal indicating the presence or absence of water within the vehicle. A signal transmitting means and a control for energizing the signal transmitting means are also provided to produce an emergency signal whenever at least one of the aforementioned detecting means produces an abnormality signal. Furthermore, to account for possible damage to a particular signal transmitting means (e.g., an antennae), it is preferred that a plurality of signal generating means be located at different locations on the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,792, issued to Sagey et al. and assigned to Hughes Aircraft Company of Los Angeles, Calif., describes a vehicle location system activated by vehicle motion, vehicle collisions, and vehicle intrusion/theft. Each vehicle in the system has a transmitter attached thereto that generate a unique transmission signal signature. When activated, the transmitter broadcasts a signal indicative of the condition of the vehicle which is received and relayed by each of three or more satellites or signal relay towers to a central data processing station. Through triangulation, the location of the vehicle can be determined. This system is designed for monitoring a large number of vehicles simultaneously.
The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920, issued to Sorden et al. and assigned to Trimble Navigation Limited of Sunnyvale Calif., improves upon prior art teachings for broadcasting an emergency signal indicating that a vehicle is in distress by using a ground-based radionavigation system (e.g., LORAN, Shoran, Decca or TACAN) or by a satellite-based radionavigation system (e.g., Global Positioning System or Global Orbiting Navigational System) for determining the location of the vehicle in distress. In this patent, such radionavigation systems are generically referred to as distance measuring systems (DMS).
As described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920, where satellite-based signals are used, the radionavigation system includes an antenna and associated receiver/processor mounted on a vehicle. This receiver antenna and associated receiver/processor receive different coded signals from each of two or more satellites which are in non-geosynchronous orbits around the Earth. The system continuously or intermittently determines the present location of the antenna based upon the relative and absolute times each coded signal is received and any frequency shifts that occur for each such signal.
Where ground-based signals are used, the radionavigation system again includes an antenna and associated receiver/processor mounted on a vehicle. However, in this system, the antenna and receiver/processor receive two or more timed signals from fixed, ground-based transmitters. The location of the vehicle relative to the known positions of the transmitters is determined based on the timing differences or other signal characteristics.
Although the vehicle location can be determined at any time, the location of the vehicle is only broadcast in response to the imminent or present occurrence of an abnormal vehicle event or condition, as determined by one or more unspecified vehicle operating sensors attached to the vehicle, or in response to a volitional act by a vehicle occupant. Along with this location information, the system also preferably broadcasts previously-sensed and temporarily-stored information on vehicle operating parameters.
In this regard, this system and the other various distress signaling systems described above focus on responding to passenger vehicle accidents on pubic roads, rather than responding to accidents that occur in rural or remote areas (e.g., private farms). In such remote areas, the presence and/or arrival of other vehicles to render assistance or contact emergency personnel cannot be expected or relied upon. And, in such remote areas, many ground-based communications are not practicable because of the dearth of required communication relay stations.
Finally, although the system described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,920 has general relevance to abnormal vehicle conditions, it fails to teach or describe the broadcast of an emergency or warning signal in response to indication by vehicle sensors of an imminent or present rollover of a vehicle. It also fails to provide a local notification system that may aid in preventing the accident.
Rollover accidents pose a serious threat to a vehicle occupant. In the passenger automobile industry, various air bags systems and similar safety restraint systems have been developed to protect vehicle occupants in a rollover accident. Such safety systems do require a measurement and prediction of vehicle rollover. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,495, issued to Schiffmann and assigned to the Delco Electronics Corporation of Kokomo, Ind., describes one apparatus and method for predicting rollover. However, since this system is designed to cause the deployment of air bags, which occurs only in response to an immediate rollover, there is no teaching related to operator notification. In other words, the operator receives no advance warning of the rollover condition so that appropriate corrective action can be taken. Schiffmann, though, does provide teaching as to the design and structure of one type of rollover sensor that may be incorporated into the present invention, and thus U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,495 is incorporated herein by reference.
In relation to farm tractors, mobile construction equipment, logging equipment, forklift trucks, and similar vehicles, rollover accidents occur with great regularity, as these vehicles often travel over uneven, unstable, or slippery terrain. And, the severity of a rollover accident is often compounded by the fact that farm tractors and similar vehicles are often operated by a single operator in rural or remote locations where emergency medical assistance may not be readily available or the accident may go undetected for hours. Indeed, in a 1993 publication entitled xe2x80x9cA Guide to Tractor Roll Bars and Other Rollover Protective Structures,xe2x80x9d the Wisconsin Rural Health Research Center estimated that between 300 and 400 people die from farm tractor rollovers each year.
To address the frequency and severity of rollover accidents, especially farm tractor rollovers, equipment designers and manufacturers have primarily focused on protecting the tractor operator. In this regard, many farm tractors and similar vehicles are provided with a rollover protective structure (ROPS), such as a roll bar. Although a ROPS may be prevent more serious injury, such a structure still does not prevent the occurrence of a rollover nor does it provide a means to obtain assistance for an injured vehicle operator or occupant.
It is therefore a paramount object of the present invention to provide a safety system for vehicles that helps prevent vehicle rollover accidents, or, in the event of such an accident, notifies emergency rescue and/or medical personnel of the same.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety system that measures that angular orientation and accelerations resulting from movement of the vehicle to determine whether a potential or immediate rollover condition exists.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a safety system that continuously temporarily stores records the movements of the vehicle, changes in vehicle operating mode, and the status of the safety system. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description.
The present invention is a safety system, particularly a sensing and notification system that helps prevent vehicle rollover accidents, and/or, in the event of such an accident, notifies emergency rescue and/or medical personnel of the same. The primary components of the overall system include a vehicle to which the local sensing and notification components of the present invention are secured, a plurality of global positioning satellites for communicating with the vehicle to identify the location of the vehicle, a remote radio communications transceiver for receiving signals from said vehicle related to an immediate rollover condition, and a call center for receiving such signals from the remote radio communications transceiver and dispatching necessary emergency assistance.
The components of the local sensing and notification subsystem cooperate to determine whether a potential or immediate rollover condition exists, and then appropriately communicate the existence of such condition to the vehicle operator and/or other vehicle occupants through local alarms and/or the call center through radio transmission of emergency signals. Specifically, a rollover calculator associated with a microprocessor and central controller receives data from multiple vehicle sensors and then processes this information to determine the present condition of the vehicle, specifically whether a potential or immediate rollover condition exists.
Should a potential rollover condition exists, the system provides local notification to the vehicle operator or occupants through an audible alarm and/or a visible alarm, and further provides a recommended steering correction.
Should an immediate rollover condition exists, the system activates the audible and/or visible alarms, while simultaneously transmitting an emergency signal via a radio communications transceiver to a call center so that necessary emergency assistance can be dispatched.